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PedroXL
Studied Film and English at University of Portsmouth, UK (2007-2010).
Wrote my dissertation on "To What Extent Should HR Giger be Considered the Father of the Alien?"
Favourite Actor: Johnny Depp.
Favourite Actresses: Christina Ricci, Sigourney Weaver.
Favourite Directors: Ridley Scott, Alfred Hitchcock, Takashi Miike, Quentin Tarantino, Guy Richie, Stanley Kubrick.
Reviews
Contracted (2013)
Social Commentary
This is a decent body horror film, period. It delivers, more or less, what you would have expected from the trailer. If you wish to see this movie purely for the horror aspect then you won't be disappointed; the grotesque metamorphosis of our main character is done brilliantly. However, it is also a hard-hitting social commentary. From reading some of the other, mostly negative, reviews I would suggest that people are getting confused somewhere along the line as to exactly what a movie like this is trying to tell its audience. The problem that most reviewers have seems to be with the suspension of disbelief; she wouldn't act like that, a doctor wouldn't behave in that manner, people would realise something was very seriously wrong... in real life. This is not real life, it's a film; it's art (a funhouse mirror reflection of reality intended to teach us something about the nature of our existence). If you want realism, then watch a documentary. This film is clearly intended to warn about the risks of unprotected sex with strangers, first and foremost. It does this in an effective, and straight-forward manner. Some reviewers have a problem with the fact we never learn anything about the man, I believe this is one of the strengths of the movie. It is more poignant; an indifferent stranger that you may never even see again can completely destroy your life if you put yourself into a position of vulnerability. It's a solid piece of storytelling. This film also reflects on the way in which society largely responds to addicts, or the severely ill; in a state of denial. We, the audience, can see our main character falling apart both physically and mentally before our eyes, and yet the secondary characters hardly notice. Even when she is doing everything she can, without directly asking, as a cry for help people are largely indifferent. Society has no place for those who are not functioning correctly within the group ethos; the boss that expects you to work yourself to death, the mother that treats your problems like self-harm, the friends that use you as a pawn in their social games... society has no place for damaged individuals, and will either deny their existence altogether, treat them as a mild irritant or indeed blame the victim themselves for their problems. There are many other social themes present here to varying degrees of subtly; the nature of rape culture, the unacceptance of sexuality, the critique of Christian values, peer pressure, gay militancy, crying wolf with self-harm, taking ones health for granted, and the amount of trust placed in authority to name a few which spring immediately to mind. Contracted portrays a bleak, indifferent world view in which the victim is treated like a criminal and can largely be seen as a dressing down on how society treats its most vulnerable.
Fool's Gold (2008)
Dumb and Not Really Very Fun.
This felt more like a feature length advert for the Caribbean than a movie; just a constant bombardment of amazing locations and feel-good reggae music, and not a lot else. The plot was dumb and predictable, lets be honest you can guess the ending without having to sit through the film. It is possible to argue that this movie is ultimately a comedy and therefore its goofiness can be forgiven, however,the attempts at humour all missed due to bad delivery and lack of wit. It is also hard to find yourself really caring about any of the characters or what happens to them, therefore failing on all levels. Poor film, bad comedy, not recommended.
Rope (1948)
Hitchcock's Rope
I have seen this film many times and it is always exciting, it is fast becoming my favourite Hitchcock movie, if not one of my favourite films of all time. It is just cinematically perfect! The way in which it is edited to look like one continuous take is very clever, and almost seamless. Hitchcock manages to build tension almost effortlessly, at one point just by focusing on a wooden chest for over a minuet has viewers on the edge of their seat!
The acting is incredible, I love films that are set in a single location (Resevoir Dogs springs to mind, being shot mostly in a warehouse, as well as Japanese film 2DLK which is all set in an apartment) because it feels so personal. Within Rope you can see the characters develop in front of you, as you really feel like you have been stuck in a room with these people for just over an hour. The quality of the acting really comes through without the distraction of changing backdrops.
I think the script is just brilliant, it is very clever, there are lots of little off-hand comments made throughout that on a first viewing can be easily missed but, on a second or more viewings it is easy to notice that often Brandan directly refers to what he has done in a way that we (the audience) can understand but the other characters do not - very smart.
I find the relationship between Brandan and Phillip very interesting, they are obviously very close, even though Brandan eventually pushes Phillip over the edge. They have certainly shared a long past together. It wasn't until I found out the two murderers this film is loosely based on, Nathan Leopold and Richard Loeb, were gay - linked with the fact that Hitchcock often commented on homosexuality within his work, that I came to the conclusion that they are probably lovers. This gives a whole new spin, and depth to their relationship, and makes their interaction with each other all the more interesting - See if on a second viewing you can interpret a homo-erotic reading between them, I certainly could.
This movie is full of sinister suspense, and will keep anyone on the edge of their seat throughout. A brilliant way of showing just what Hitchcock can do! It highlights many of his Directorial trademarks, such as misogyny, in the form of the nagging old house keeper, comment on homosexuality as previously mentioned, and the presence of an academic. Also contains two Hitchcock cameos - if you look really hard!! In my opinion one of his very best works.
Star Crystal (1986)
truly awful
i discovered this movie when my mum was given it to go to a school fête for sale and decided to watch it first. i really wish i could erase the memory of it. the acting was terrible and although the storyline was pretty awful a different director or selection of actors could have - maybe - possible made it work. the most laughable part for me was the way the blood thirsty killing machine of an alien suddenly turns into a gentle and caring creature at the drop of a hat at the end, and our leading man takes on a "you've just killed everyone i've ever loved but now you've said sorry it's all okay" attitude!! very odd. totally trash, even if you are a cult fan or love old dodgy movies do not waste your time on this tripe.